The nocturnal darkness over the city ruins at Bakhmut is illuminated by what is believed to be a sticky, wax-like, easily ignited substance, “white phosphorus”. Now the Russians are again accused of using the disputed weapon.
Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense has released a video taken by a drone purporting to show areas on fire in Bakhmut as white phosphorus rains down on the city.
The Ukrainian defense wrote on Twitter:
“There is not enough artillery ammunition, but there is enough phosphorus. The Russians are bombing the unoccupied areas of Bakhmut with incendiary ammunition. They will burn in hell.”
BBC Confirm the location of the video from the area west of the now destroyed city.
Ukrainian forces still control this region, after the battle for control of the city in eastern Ukraine has so far lasted about nine months.
Prominent Ukrainian journalist Ilya Ponomarenko posted this video on Friday, purporting to show phosphorus from ground level:
Since August, Russian forces led by mercenaries of the Wagner Group have been trying to take control of the city.
The Russians now control large parts of the city core, but the Ukrainians have chosen not to withdraw. The reason is that the Ukrainians, despite their heavy losses, believe that they are killing too many Russian soldiers in the city, and that they are tying up the Russian soldiers who would have been used elsewhere away from the front.
VG recently traveled along a 1,000-kilometer front in Ukraine. Read the report here.
White phosphorus in bombs is not prohibited, but the use of such bombs in civilian areas is a war crime. Russia has also previously been accused of using white phosphorous, including during the brutal attack on Mariupol.
It’s not just the Russians who have used weapons in war in recent decades: NATO has used them in AfghanistanAmerican forces used in Iraq, And he used the coalition against ISIS, of which Norway was a part It is against ISIS in Mosul.
White phosphorous causes fires that spread rapidly and are difficult to put out. The substance is sticky and difficult to remove, and it can catch fire when the bandage is removed.
On Friday, the chief of mercenaries in the Wagner Group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, said in private Telegram channel They will withdraw from Bakhmut on May 10th.
Prigozhin claimed in the video that the Wagner Group lacks large amounts of ammunition and blames it on Russian military leaders. “Wow! Gerasimov! Where are the bombs, ”he shouted into the camera, referring to the Russian Defense Command.
A major Ukrainian counteroffensive is expected to begin soon.
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